The Patriots will enter Thursday’s opening night of the NFL draft with the No. 3 overall pick. That much we know. What we don’t know is how they’ll use it or, indeed, whether they will use it at all.

That’s because New England could very well see fit to trade the pick to fill the many holes on the rest of the roster. And while cornerback is not one of the primary needs on the team, there is a scenario in which the Pats come out with an All-Pro corner while still preserving the opportunity to pick a quarterback in the first round.

The shuffling would require the cooperation of the Denver Broncos, possessors of the No. 12 overall pick and a team very much in need of a quarterback. The Broncos, according to Sportskeeda NFL insider Tony Pauline are willing to include star cornerback Patrick Surtain II in a deal to move up to take a rookie quarterback, rumored to be J.J. McCarthy.

“There’s talk that the Broncos will dangle cornerback Patrick Surtain II as part of a package to trade up for a quarterback,” Pauline wrote. “That is something I initially reported from the Shrine Bowl. … Any package to move up will include at least one future first-round pick as well as Surtain and the 12^th selection in this year’s draft.”

Patrick Surtain II Would Be a Big Addition

That would be a rather tempting package for the Patriots. At No. 12, they could still come away with Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix, or they could instead add a much-needed top-level offensive tackle. They could look to address the need for a No. 1 wide receiver with that pick, too.

And they’d land a first-rounder in 2025, while putting together a fearsome combo of Christian Gonzalez and Surtain at the corner spots. The team would still have Jonathan Jones on board, and could use him as trade bait to further beef up their draft prospects, either this year or next.

It would be a hefty price for Denver. But after cutting loose quarterback Russell Wilson, and taking on a record-breaking dead-money hit, the Broncos are desperate for a cheap and talented option at QB, sooner rather than later.

“The Broncos’ quest to select a quarterback in this year’s draft has been talked about ad nauseum,” Pauline wrote. “There’s talk that Sean Payton is ready to give up a king’s ransom to move up and acquire one of the top signal callers available.”

Patriots Would Need a ‘Bag’ to Trade Down

Surtain only just turned 24 and has already established himself as a star in the defensive backfield. He struggled this season in a bad Broncos defense, but still managed to earn a Pro Bowl spot after being named to both the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams last season.

Surtain was the ninth overall pick out of Alabama in 2021, and has played in 50 out of 51 games in his career.

Again, he is not necessarily a “need” fit for the Patriots, but could be seen as part of a general talent upgrade for a team trying to get better after logging a 4-13 record last year. The belief around the NFL is that the Patriots will take one of the best quarterbacks available—McCarthy, Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye—at No. 3, but coach Jerod Mayo conceded the team would consider trading.

For a “bag,” that is.

“Look, we sit at a very enviable spot at No. 3 where we can take someone, or if someone offers ‘a bag,’ as we would say — you know, a lot of first-round picks — we definitely have to talk about those things,” Mayo said last month, per The Athletic.

Surtain and two firsts? That could qualify as both a “bag” and a “king’s ransom.”S